Contents

Understand

With over 500,000 people, Kuantan is the largest city on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. There are a number of places in and around Kuantan that are worth visiting.

Get in

By plane

Kuantan's small Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport (IATA: KUA) is about 15 km southwest of the city. The airport currently serves a few daily flights from Kuala Lumpur-KLIA (40 mins) on Malaysia Airlines [3]. It also commences service from Penang airport via Fireflyz from March 2011 onwards.

The airport also serves an international flight to Singapore by Firefly 4x a week.

By bus

Kuantan's long distance bus station is located at Terminal Makmur. (Beside Stadium Darul Makmur)

To/from Kuala Lumpur: Kuantan is about 3.5 hours from Kuala Lumpur by bus. Fares are currently around RM22.00.

To/from Cherating: Catch a Sihat Bas or Mira heading for Kemaman and get off along the main road at the Cherating turn-off. The journey may take about an hour. In Kuantan, catch the buses at the local bus station on Jalan Besar. From Cherating, walk out onto the main road and wait for any Kuantan-bound (south-bound) bus.

By car

Opened in 2004, the Karak Highway and East Coast Expressway connect Kuantan to Kuala Lumpur, and the distance of approximately 250 kilometers can be covered in 3-3.5 hours. The East Coast Expressway is served by evenly distributed stop-over areas that are equipped with toilets, sundry shops and food stalls. You may exit at either the Gambang or Kuantan exit. Both expressways are toll roads to travel the entire journey via the expressways costs RM27.60 for a car.

Federal route 2 also links Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan. As it is ordinary road it has no toll. However it is a somewhat slower route than the expressway as there are traffic lights along the way and a lower speed limit.

Get around

The public transport system in Kuantan is poor (especially buses). It takes around 2 hours for a bus to complete its route back to its hub. Therefore it's better if you get around by taxi. Alternatively, you can rent a car from any of the car rental agencies.

See

Teluk Chempedak Beach view from the Kuantan Hyatt Hotel

Beaches

Teluk Chempedak, 5 km northeast of Kuantan, is a lovely beach with facilities for watersports, including boating and kayaking. The Kuantan Hyatt Hotel is located on Teluk Chempedak itself. On the left side of Teluk Cempedak beach, there is a long boardwalk (built over rocks and boulders) that connects to a second beach.

Beserah, around 7 km from Kuantan city, is a village that is famous for fresh fish every day! You can buy fresh fish at wholesale prices here. A well-known local product, salted fish, is also available for sale here.

Balok, a beach that is famous for wind surfing, is located 13 km north of Kuantan. Swiss Garden Resort & Spa is located on Balok Beach. The resort delicately embraces traditional features with the incorporation of “anyaman” style décor in its fittings creating a unique atmosphere and perfect balance between luxury and homely familiarity.

Batu Hitam is a special beach where all the stones are black or dark in colour. It is still under development.

Others

Taman Teruntum, a Mini Zoo, is located near Taman Teruntum next to the Kuantan golf course.

Pulau Ular- There is a legend associated with this island. It is about how snakes helped the villagers to keep pirates away (Pulau Ular means Snake Island in Malay). Nevertheless, they were conquered by the pirates eventually. These events are believed locally to have happened during the 11th century. There is a village called Sungai Ular (Snake River) on the mainland, between Cherating and Balok.

Sungai Lembing town is where one of the world's largest underground tin mines (now closed) is situated. Approximately 40 km northwest of Kuantan, you can get here by bus, taxi or by car. There is a good museum which has lots of information pertaining to tin mining. The building in which the museum is located used to be the residence of the manager of the tin mining company. There is an interesting "hanging bridge" (jambatan bergantung) located north of the Tin Museum. You can reach this bridge - which is a little difficult to find - by going north on the narrow, winding road at the base of the entrance to the Tin Museum. Locals and tourists alike trek up Bukit Panorama (Panorama Hill) for a glimpse of sunrise and a magnificent view of the natural surroundings in the early morning hours.

Panching Caves (also known as Charah Caves) are located in a limestone mountain on the Kuantan-Sungai Lembing road at the small village of Panching. There is a large statue of a Sleeping Buddha here. Entrance fee (Adults RM2.00. Children RM1.00). Parking fee of RM2.00 for cars.

Pahang Buddhist Association Temple is located just outside Kuantan town on the Kuantan-Sungai Lembing road. It has a large statue of the Buddha and a park with a pond, fish and tortoises at the rear.

Berkelah Falls (also known by locals as the Ninth Mile Waterfall) is located near the Kuantan airbase of the Royal Malaysian Air Force or TUDM (Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia) and nine miles away from Kuantan on the Kuantan-Gambang road. To get to the waterfall, turn right at the traffic lights at the Kuantan-Gambang road just after the airbase (if you are coming from Kuantan). The waterfall is located in the Hutan Lipur Sungai Pandan (Pandan River Forest Reserve). Entrance fee RM1.00 for adults.

The State Mosque is located in the heart of Kuantan.

The Kuantan River Esplanade - this small esplanade is located just behind the offices of the Kuantan Town Council building next to the Kuantan River.

Do

Taman Gelora, Located about 3 km from Kuantan along the way to Teluk Cempedak, is a beautiful park called Gelora Park. Various sport activities can be carried out here including jogging, aerobic dance, tennis, beach volleyball,etc. You can admire lotus flowers here too.

Teluk Chempedak beach night stroll

Cherating - Sunrise on the beach

Cherating - Turtle sanctuary. This is seasonal. Head towards Club Mediteranee and it's just at that resort's entrance.

Kuantan River Cruise. There are several a day.

Fireflies tour. Done at night with a battery powered boat down the river. You'd need to organise this through one of the local travel agents.

Learn to Kitesurf at Balok Beach. Possible all year round but best from Dec - Mar [4]

Buy

Old Chinese shophouses located along Jalan Mahkota in the city centre.

Salted fish or keropok (dried fish crackers) at Jalan Besar.

Shopping Centres:

East Coast Mall- The largest shopping mall on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, with Carrefour and Parkson as its anchor tenants.

Kuantan Parade- Located behind Teruntum Complex (the tallest building in Kuantan)

Mahkota Square

Eat

There are many restaurants and eateries that have mushroomed around Berjaya Megamall on Jalan Tun Ismail which serve local food at reasonable prices.

Keropok Lekor is also famous in Kuantan, especially the ones sold by Mok Nah in Tanjung Lumpur and Pak Soh 2 in Sungai Karang on the way to Balok. The variant sold here is slighty different from the ones you find in Kuala Terengganu in that it is soft but crispy.

Sata, fish paste and coconut wrapped in coconut leaves and barbequed; good with fresh fruit juice.

Otak-otak, fish paste wrapped in coconut leaves and barbequed; good with beer.

Satay, chunks of chicken or beef on a skewer, cooked over a charcoal fire. Eaten with a peanut-based dip. The tastiest satay in Kuantan can be found at Zul's Satay, located in a corner shop at the junction to Beserah from the Kuantan town-Teluk Cempedak road. Heading towards Teluk Cempedak from Kuantan, it is on your left at the traffic lights with a Zam Zam restaurant opposite it (also on your left).

Curry Laksa at Hoi Yin Restaurant in Teluk Cempedak. Located in the row of shops on the left as you approach the beach. Opens morning till early afternoon.

For Seafood Hunters, a uniquely seafood restaurant by the white sandy beach is available along Jalan Beserah - Pak Su Seafood Restaurant. Served various type of fresh seafood though it might be a bit expensive if you are a foreigner, up to 150MYR . Visited by lot of foreign tourists. The famous Stuffed Crab is a must try dishes.

You can also enjoy a variety of delicious seafood dishes at affordable price in Tanjung Lumpur village which is connected via Tangjung Lumpur bridge and is about 2km from the city centre. A range of restaurants is located along Jalan Tangjung Lumpur such as NARA seafood, Ismail Ikan Bakar etc. The recently opened seafood restaurant, SANTAI offers more choices for seafood hunters.

Lunch at AKOB PATIN HOUSE, famous with local food, GULAI TEMPOYAK PATIN and about 30 other more local menus, Located in town centre, Tapak PCCL, off Jalan Besar, on the river side of Sungai Kuantan. also serve you a few veriety of river fish like Kerai, Tengalan and Patin. Call for reservation +6012-9577057

Mega View Hotel Kuantan, [8]. In central Kuantan, next to the bank of the Kuantan River.

Duta Sand Beach Resort, [9]. White sandy beaches and just right beside fish village. Located at Jalan Berserah, on the way from Kuantan City to Balok Beach. Reasonable price by walk in MYR 188 and below (wooden chalet)